Make that 17 in a row when the Chicago Bulls play at the United Center on Thursday nights on TNT. Not one little bit. Butler and Thomas had 29 points and seven assists each.

Twice in the final 30 seconds of Thursday's matchup against the Chicago Bulls, Smart was tasked with guarding All-Star forward Jimmy Butler with Boston clinging to a one-point lead.

"Smart, via MassLive, initially offered a "no comment" when asked if he touched Butler on the play, but later said he "played helluva great defense right there, and I know I did", asserting that the referee only called the foul after Butler yelled, 'No foul?'"

The foul? Highly questionable.

But because it came in the contest's closing seconds, when National Basketball Association refs tend to swallow their whistles, the Celtics are understandably upset.

"Horrible call", said guard Isaiah Thomas. We want to take you inside the game and call out things you might have missed.

We won this game. The Bulls were even shocked.

"It's what the game tells you to do", Butler said.

Myles Turner finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for IN with All Star Paul George also adding 17 points. "As soon as he said that, the whistle blew and I looked and I saw him (Zarba) raise his hands". Butler calmly patted his elbow and then walked toward the line while an incredulous Smart danced up the court in disbelief. "It was a big letdown, especially for me".

Speaking on ESPN's First Take, the 2015 Most Improved Player said the one player he would like to play with is Kyrie Irving. I moved my feet, I did everything right, my hands were up. He's become such a good playmaker for himself and his teammates that it lessens his impact when he's forced to play off the ball.

Wade, along with guard Rajon Rondo, has served as a mentor to younger players like rookie Denzel Valentine, who, like other reserves, has seen increased playing time while Wade, Nikola Mirotic, Jimmy Butler and Paul Zipser have worked through injuries. In some ways, Chicago might be better when Butler is the lone ball handler on the floor.

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